


child of mine, gone so soon

by gridgore



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Gen, Not Beta Read, Parental Guidance - Freeform, Polyamorous Character, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Short & Sweet, do i have to tag major character death in this fandom, how does one write a loving mother, i wanted to explore their relationship a bit more, mums are hard to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:55:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29263143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gridgore/pseuds/gridgore
Summary: The garden is as beautiful as it always is. Lush and verdant; the kind of secluded alcove in the forest that would be home to a lone nymph, nursing the grapevine as a mother would a child.Instead, there is his mother, looking every bit as gorgeous as the garden around her. He cannot help the way he smiles, feeling the tension pour out of his muscles, leaving all the fear and the fight behind him. Now he is just a boy in a forest with his mother, realising not for the first time how much he loves her.
Relationships: Megaera/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Megaera/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Persephone & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 77





	child of mine, gone so soon

The garden is as beautiful as it always is. Lush and verdant; the kind of secluded alcove in the forest that would be home to a lone nymph, nursing the grapevine as a mother would a child.

Instead, there is his mother, looking every bit as gorgeous as the garden around her. He cannot help the way he smiles, feeling the tension pour out of his muscles, leaving all the fear and the fight behind him. Now he is just a boy in a forest with his mother, realising not for the first time how much he loves her.

“Mother!” He greets, his flame licked feet not even damaging the grass as he walks to her. “I hope I haven’t been gone too long.”

She turns, dazzling in the sunlight so foreign to him. “Every second you are not here is a second too long, Zagreus. But no, it has not been terribly long, the mint has just come in. It was but a sprout when you saw it last, yes?”

He moves to her side and she leads him to the crop of mint- their leaves plush and thick, like velvet. 

“It must have been. You work so fast.”

They crouch together and watch the plant gently waving in the breeze. “Rub a leaf with your fingers. The scent is so strong it clings easily to skin.”

Zagreus does, rubbing the gentle velvet between his fingers, and brings them to his face to smell. His eyes glitter with fascination. It smells... cold. Like it cuts through his nostrils and makes its way straight behind his eyes. It smells like nothing in Hades’ realm. Scent doesn’t tend to cling to the dead.

“I’ve never smelt anything like this before. It’s amazing.”

She chuckles, laugher lines crinkling in the corners of her eyes. “It’s a favourite of mine. I have a special way of making them grow so potently scented.”

“I assume that’s a trade secret?”

“Exactly. Can’t let you know everything.” 

They stand and Persephone’s knees click, so Zagreus takes her gently by the elbow to aid her. She smiles again. “Who taught you your manners? Can’t have been your father.”

He snorts at that, shaking his head. “Nyx, mostly. Achilles was quite the good influence too.”

“Ah, Achilles. He wasn’t quite so well mannered in life, you know.”

“He hasn’t told me much about his life.” Zagreus scratches the back of his head almost guiltily. “It almost feels like an invasion of his privacy to learn anything through others.”

“Ah, then I shall not tell you of his exploits. I’m just glad he didn’t teach you all the insults he used to spout.”

Zagreus blinked, pausing his other movements. “Insults?”

Persephone mimed zipping her lip before bursting out into a grin. “Come, though. I want to ask you about something.”

“Nothing bad, I hope?”

“Not at all. I wanted to ask you about the Fury, and a certain Death Incarnate.”

“Ah.” Zagreus flushes, back straightening. “Yes, well. Those two.”

“It is my motherly duty to pry into my son’s relationships, I’m afraid. You must tell me about them, and if I can expect children.”

“Children!” Zagreus nearly chokes on his tongue.

“Well, you have all the time in the world to decide about that. I imagine the child of a Fury would be quite the handful.”

Zagreus flounders while Persephone lowers herself to the grass and crosses her legs. She pats the grass opposite her and Zagreus obeys, albeit awkwardly. Persephone adjusts her dress while Zagreus thinks of something to tell her about his partners. But how to describe the people you love in just a handful of words?

“Start with this- what are their hobbies and interests?” His mother says, as if reading his mind.

“Well...” Zagreus puts his hand on his chin. “Megaera isn’t too forthcoming about her hobbies, but I can tell you she has a passion for stories. She reads a lot. I have about a million books in my room that shes collected over the years. Thanatos will sometimes bring some from the surface. He probably knows her tastes more than I do.” He smiles, leaning forward like he’s telling Persephone a secret. She mimics him. “Between you and me though, I’ve caught sight of more than a few romance novels on the shelf. I wonder if she wants me to act more like one of the men from those stories?” He ponders. 

“I can tell you right now that no woman really wants a man like the ones in those stories. But I know she’d appreciate you taking more of an interest in what she likes, even if she doesn’t like to talk about it much.”

“You’re right, you’re right. I’ll ask what her favourite book is, and I’ll read it.” He nods to himself. “You should hear her when she gets passionate about something. She’s usually quite contained, but sometimes I think it just bubbles over. Her eyes just light up! And I know I could listen for hours.”

“You sound like you really love her.”

“I do. I really do. But don’t tell her I said that, I’m still waiting for the right moment.”

“And what of Thanatos? What are his hobbies?”

“He doesn’t have a lot of spare time because his work keeps him so busy, so not a lot of time for hobbies, but he likes to play my lyre. I’ve been teaching him what Orpheus has passed onto me and he got the hang of it really fast. I’m thinking of getting him his own so we can play together. And even if he wasn’t very good, I can tell it relaxes him. More music in the house will never be a bad thing. It makes the place sound much more likely.”

Persephone runs her fingers though the grass, eyes crinkling at the corners. “You have quite the obsession with liveliness.”

“The grass is always greener on the other side, I suppose. Being surrounded by death will do that to you.”

Persephone is quiet for a moment. The birds recite their symphony overhead, the river water laps quietly against the sand beds and Zagreus’ feet crackle gently, like fire on wood. “I think you would’ve been a wonderful mortal.” His mother says. “I’m sorry you’ve been damned to the realm of the dead by birthright. You should be here, in the sun with me, nursing the plants.”

“There’s nothing I’d like more.” Zagreus finds himself choking up. “But I think our time is running out.”

Persephone’s face cracks with misery. “So soon?”

His chest heaves and he struggles to breathe in the stinging air. The birdsong rings in his ears. “I’m- I’m sorry. I’ll be back soon.”

Persephone smiles sadly, cupping her son’s cheek with her hand. He leans into it, growing weaker and weaker. “Maybe the mint will be bigger by the time you come back.”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll grow something new for you. Some flowers, red, like your spirit.”

“A-and grow something green... For you...”

“I promise. Something red and something green.”

“Something...” Zagreus’ eyes close, and he feels cold blood start to rise around his feet, rushing up and up to his ears. 

Persephone doesn’t see her son for another few weeks. But in the garden there is a new crop. Something red and something green.

**Author's Note:**

> i wonder what this ‘trade secret’ for growing that mint is , lol
> 
> i listened to i don’t love nobody by elizabeth cotten as i was writing this ! check it out if you wanna listen to something soft


End file.
